# List of justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana

This is a list of the judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The Constitution of Ghana provides for the court to be made up of the Chief Justice of Ghana and not less than nine other Justices of the Supreme Court. It shall be duly constituted by at least five Supreme Court judges.

## Appointment of judges

Article 144 clause 1 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana stipulates that the Chief Justice of Ghana is to be appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of the Parliament of Ghana. Article 144 clause 2 states that Justices of the Supreme court are appointed on the advice of the Judicial Council in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament. Where the position of Chief Justice is vacant or where the holder of the position is unable to perform their duties for a period, the most senior member of the Supreme Court shall act as Chief Justice as in clause 6 of Article 144. In May 2020, President Akufo-Addo appointed four additional judges to the Supreme Court.

## Retirement or removal from office

According to Article 145 clause 4 of the constitution, a Supreme Court Judge is expected to vacate their office on reaching the age of seventy years. They can carry on up to an additional six months to ensure that they are able to complete any proceedings they may have been involved in at that stage. The judges are guaranteed job security. Article 146 states the conditions for their removal as "except for stated misbehaviour or incompetence or on ground of inability to perform the functions of his office arising from infirmity of body or mind." The procedure for this has also been clearly stated in the constitution.

## List of judges of the Supreme Court

| # | Served from | Name | Previous judicial office | Appointed by | Served until | Notes |
| 1 | 1960 | Kobina Arku Korsah | Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court | Kwame Nkrumah | December 1963 | Chief Justice of Ghana 1957–1963 Dismissed by Kwame Nkrumah |
| 2 | 1960 | William Van Lare | Appeal Court Judge 1957 | Kwame Nkrumah | December 1963 | Retired when Supreme Court acquitted Tawia Adamafio and others on treason charges |
| 3 | 1960 | Gilbert Granville Sharp | Appeal Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1961 | |
| 4 | 1960 | Julius Sarkodee-Addo | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | February 1966 | Chief Justice 1964–1966 Removed after coup d'état |
| 5 | July 1960 | Augustus Molade Akiwumi | Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana (1958–1960) | Kwame Nkrumah | 1961 | Speaker of Parliament of Ghana |
| 6 | 15 September 1961 | Samuel Azu Crabbe | High Court Judge 1959 | Kwame Nkrumah | 1966 | Supreme Court was replaced by the Appeals Court in 1966 |
| 6 | 1971 | Samuel Azu Crabbe | Appeal Court Judge | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | Supreme Court replaced by the Appeals Court in 1972 Chief Justice 1973–1977 |
| 7 | 15 September 1961 | Kofi Adumua Bossman | High Court Judge 2 July 1956 – 1962 | Kwame Nkrumah | 2 March 1964 | Dismissed 2 March 1964 by Nkrumah Member of Constitutional Commission 1966–1967 |
| 8 | 1 September 1962 | George Commey Mills-Odoi | High Court Judge Jan 1960 Attorney General 1961–1962 | Kwame Nkrumah | February 1966 | Acting Chief Justice (1965) |
| 9 | 1 September 1962 | Nii Amaa Ollennu | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1966 | Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana 1969–1972 |
| 10 | 1 September 1962 | Robert Samuel Blay | Private legal practitioner | Kwame Nkrumah | 2 March 1964 | Dismissed 2 March 1964 by Nkrumah |
| 11 | 1 September 1962 | Edward Akufo-Addo | Private legal practitioner | Kwame Nkrumah | March 1964 | Dismissed 2 March 1964 by Nkrumah. Reinstated by the NLC as an Appeals Court judge. Chief Justice (1966–1970) |
| 12 | 2 March 1964 | Charles Acolatse | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1965 | |
| 13 | 2 March 1964 | Alfred Akainyah | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 7 June 1966 | |
| 14 | 2 March 1964 | Fred Apaloo | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1966 | Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court |
| 14 | 1971 | Fred Apaloo | Appeal Court Judge | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court |
| 14 | 1980 | Fred Apaloo | Appeal Court Judge | Hilla Limann | 1986 | Chief Justice of Ghana 1977–1986 Chief Justice of Kenya 1993–1995 |
| 15 | 26 June 1964 | William Bruce-Lyle | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 7 June 1966 | Supreme Court Judge in Zambia 1976–1980. |
| 16 | 26 June 1964 | Johnson Boateng Siriboe | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1966 | Supreme Court was replaced by the Appeals Court in 1966 by the National Liberation Council |
| 16 | August 1970 | Johnson Boateng Siriboe | Appeal Court Judge | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | Dismissed by NRC Military government. |
| 17 | 1965 | G. S. Lassey | High Court Judge | Kwame Nkrumah | 1966 | Supreme Court replaced by the Appeals Court by the then NLC government. |
| 18 | August 1970 | E. A. L. Bannerman | Legal adviser to Ghana Police and Ghana Airways (1967–70) | Edward Akufo-Addo | 20 September 1972 | Chief Justice 1970–1972 Sacked by NRC Military government. |
| 19 | August 1970 | V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe | Interim Electoral Commissioner | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | |
| 19 | 24 October 1980 | V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe | Appeal Court Judge | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1981 | |
| 20 | August 1970 | Koi Larbi | Member of the Council of State | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | Sacked by NRC Military government. |
| 21 | 1971 | Kwamena Bentsi-Enchill | Dean of the Faculty of law, University of Zambia | Edward Akufo-Addo | 30 September 1972 | |
| 22 | 1971 | H. K. Prempeh | High Court Judge (1960–1964) Private legal practitioner | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | |
| 23 | 1971 | P. D. Anin | Appeal Court Judge (1969–1970) | Edward Akufo-Addo | 1972 | Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court |
| 23 | 24 October 1980 | P. D. Anin | Appeal Court Judge (1972–1980) | Hilla Limann | July 1982 | Retired voluntarily in July 1982 Later became a justice of the Appeal Court of the Gambia |
| 24 | 24 October 1980 | N. Y. B. Adade | Attorney General 1969–1971 | Hilla Limann | 20 February 1996 | Acting Chief Justice (1990 to 1991) |
| 25 | 24 October 1980 | Philip Archer | Appeal Court judge | Hilla Limann | 1983 | Retired in 1983 |
| 25 | 1991 | Philip Archer | Appointed Chairman of the Law Reform Commission following his retirement as a Supreme Court judge, was called out of retirement in 1991 to serve as Chief Justice of Ghana | Jerry Rawlings | 21 February 1995 | Chief of Justice 1991–1995 |
| 26 | 24 October 1980 | E. N. P. Sowah | Appeal Court Judge | Hilla Limann | 1990 | Chief Justice of Ghana 1986–1990 |
| 27 | 24 October 1980 | J. N. K. Taylor | High Court Judge | Hilla Limann | 24 March 1990 | |
| 28 | September 1985 | G. R. M. Francois | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 5 August 1994 | |
| 29 | 1988 | Isaac Wuaku | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 29 December 1992 | |
| 30 | 1988 | Kweku Etrew Amua-Sekyi | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 5 July 1996 | |
| 31 | 1988 | Isaac K. Abban | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 21 April 2001 | Chief Justice of Seychelles 1990–1993 Chief Justice of Ghana. Died in office. |
| 32 | 1989 | Patrick Victor Osei-Hwere | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 19 October 1992 | |
| 33 | 20 February 1990 | G. E. K. Aikins | Attorney General of Ghana | Jerry Rawlings | 2 September 1998 | |
| 34 | 1990 | Edward Wiredu | Appeals Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 2003 | Chief Justice of Ghana 2001–2003 |
| 35 | 19 November 1991 | Joyce Bamford-Addo | Director of Public Prosecutions 2nd Deputy Speaker of the Consultative Assembly | Jerry Rawlings | October 2004 | First female justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and first female Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana |
| 36 | 19 November 1991 | Charles Hayfron-Benjamin | Private legal practice | Jerry Rawlings | 4 April 1999 | |
| 37 | 6 January 1993 | Francis Kpegah | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 4 December 2008 | Acting Chief Justice (25 March 2007 to15 June 2007) |
| 38 | 6 January 1993 | A. K. B. Ampiah | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 25 July 2003 | |
| 39 | 22 February 1995 | E. D. K. Adjabeng | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | October 2002 | Resigned in October 2002 on personal grounds |
| 40 | 30 November 1995 | George Kingsley Acquah | Appeals Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 25 March 2007 | Chief Justice of Ghana. Died in office. |
| 41 | 30 November 1995 | Sophia Akuffo | Private legal practitioner | Jerry Rawlings | 20 December 2019 | Chief Justice (2017–2019) |
| 42 | 30 November 1995 | Isaac K. Amuah | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 19 August 1997 | Died in office |
| 43 | 30 November 1995 | William Atuguba | State attorney | Jerry Rawlings | 1 July 2018 | Acting Chief Justice (21 February 2017 to 19 June 2017) 23 years in Supreme Court |
| 44 | 15 April 1999 | John Debra Sapong | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 2 June 2000 | |
| 45 | 15 April 1999 | Josiah Ofori Boateng | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 4 January 2001 | |
| 46 | 28 November 2000 | Theodore Adzoe | Private legal practitioner | Jerry Rawlings | 31 October 2008 | |
| 47 | 28 November 2000 | George Lamptey | Appeal Court Judge | Jerry Rawlings | 3 June 2002 | |
| 48 | 19 March 2002 | Kwame Afreh | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | September 2003 | |
| 49 | 12 November 2002 | Georgina Wood | Appeal Court Judge 1991–2002 | John Kufuor | 7 June 2017 | Chief Justice 2007–2017 |
| 50 | 12 November 2002 | Samuel Glenn Baddoo | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 3 March 2004 | |
| 51 | 12 November 2002 | Stephen Alan Brobbey | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 23 May 2012 | |
| 52 | 12 November 2002 | Seth Twum | Private legal practitioner | John Kufuor | 20 March 2007 | |
| 53 | 21 May 2003 | Anselmus Kludze | Professor of Law at the University of Ghana | John Kufuor | 12 March 2004 | |
| 54 | 16 September 2003 | Samuel Date-Bah | Special Adviser (Legal) at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London | John Kufuor | August 2014 | |
| 55 | 14 May 2004 | Tawia Modibo Ocran | Professor of Law at the University of Ghana | John Kufuor | 27 October 2008 | Died in office |
| 56 | 15 October 2004 | Richard Aninakwah | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 28 January 2008 | |
| 57 | 15 October 2004 | Julius Ansah | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 2020 | Acting Chief Justice (20 December 2019 to 7 January 2020) |
| 58 | 15 October 2004 | Felix Lartey | Chief Justice of the Gambia | John Kufuor | April 2005 | |
| 59 | 15 March 2006 | Sophia Adinyira | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 30 July 2019 | Judge on United Nations Appeals Tribunal 2009–2016 |
| 60 | 15 March 2006 | Samuel Kwadwo Asiamah | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | 2009 | |
| 61 | 11 June 2008 | Anin Yeboah | Justice of the Court of Appeal (2003–2008) | John Kufuor | 24 May 2023 | Chief Justice (7 January 2020 to 24 May 2023) |
| 62 | 11 June 2008 | Jones Dotse | Appeal Court Judge Supreme Court Judge in the Gambia | John Kufuor | 8 June 2023 | Acting Chief Justice (24 May 2023 to 8 June 2023) |
| 63 | 11 June 2008 | Paul Baffoe-Bonnie | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | Incumbent | |
| 64 | 11 June 2008 | Rose Constance Owusu | Appeal Court Judge | John Kufuor | June 2014 | |
| 65 | 31 October 2009 | Vida Akoto-Bamfo | Appeal Court Judge | John Atta Mills | 14 February 2019 | |
| 66 | 31 October 2009 | Benjamin Aryeetey | Appeal Court Judge | John Atta Mills | 2011 | |
| 67 | 31 October 2009 | Nasiru Gbadegbe | Appeal Court Judge | John Atta Mills | 8 December 2020 | |
| 68 | 11 November 2012 | Joseph Akamba | Appeal Court Judge | John Mahama | 2016 | |
| 69 | 11 November 2012 | Anthony Benin | Appeal Court Judge | John Mahama | January 2020 | |
| 70 | 29 June 2015 | Yaw Appau | Appeal Court Judge | John Mahama | August 2021 | |
| 71 | 29 June 2015 | Gabriel Pwamang | Private legal practitioner | John Mahama | Incumbent | |
| 72 | 3 October 2018 | Nene Amegatcher | Private legal practitioner | Nana Akufo-Addo | 28 July 2023 | President of the Ghana Bar Association (2012–2016) |
| 73 | 3 October 2018 | Agnes Dordzie | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | 2 October 2022 | |
| 74 | 3 October 2018 | Nii Ashie Kotey | Professor of Law at the University of Ghana | Nana Akufo-Addo | 28 July 2023 | |
| 75 | 3 October 2018 | Samuel Marful-Sau | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | 10 August 2021 | Died in office |
| 76 | 17 December 2019 | Mariama Owusu | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | November 2024 | President of Ghana chapter, International Association of Women Judges, 2014 |
| 77 | 17 December 2019 | Avril Lovelace-Johnson | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 78 | 17 December 2019 | Gertrude Tokornoo | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | Vice-chair, e-Justice Committee Judicial Training Institute Board member Chief Justice (Appointed on 12 June 2023) |
| 79 | 22 May 2020 | Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 80 | 22 May 2020 | Clemence Jackson Honyenuga | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | 4 September 2022 | Although officially retired on 4 September 2022, he was granted some time by the Chief Justice (Anin Yeboah) to conclude a pending case. He was removed from the case in February 2023. |
| 81 | 26 May 2020 | Joy Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu | Professor of Law at the University of Ghana | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 82 | 26 May 2020 | Yonny Kulendi | Private legal practitioner | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 83 | 28 December 2022 | Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 84 | 28 December 2022 | Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 85 | 5 April 2023 | George Kingsley Koomson | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 86 | 5 April 2023 | Ernest Gaewu | High Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 87 | 3 January 2024 | Henry Anthony Kwofie | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 88 | 3 January 2024 | Yaw Darko Asare | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |
| 89 | 3 January 2024 | Richard Adjei-Frimpong | Appeal Court Judge | Nana Akufo-Addo | Incumbent | |